Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLILT J. B. BOWMAN, OF HAVVLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIM- SELFAND ELIJAH WINFIELD, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 153,042, dated July 14,1874; application tiled March 7, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN J. B. Bow- MAN, of Hawley, in thecounty ofTayne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Gouplings, which are simple in operation andconstruction, and convenient in use, and not liableto get out of order,having for its object to improve the operation of car-couplings byfurnishing a device which will couple itself as the cars come together,and can be readily uncoupled by a person without going inside or betweenthe cars, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth 5 and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying dra-wil'lg with letters of reference marked thereon,forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure lis alongitudinal section of a device embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is atop view of the same.

A represents the draw-head, having a slot on the under side to form ashoulder, a, and having a slot, a', in the top part extending nearly tothe mouth of the coupling, and beveled from the top to the inside. Brepresents a toggle hinged in the slot a', so that the forward part ison a line with the lower edge of the slot a. rIhis extendsverticallydownward, and the front part rests against the shoulder a. Inthe rear part of the slot a is secured a spring, D, having a segmentalor curved face, df, which bears against the toggle B, when the same isthrown back, and by its elastic force returns the toggle to the positionshown in Fig. l. The pivot upon which the toggle B swings, extendsoutward from each side, and is supposed to extend far enough to be evenwith the side of the car, and provided with a wheel-or lever, c, and asthe pivot or bar (l is secured firmly to the toggle B, and turns withit, a person can stand on the outside of the car and operate or turnback the toggle B to uncouple the cars. E represents the link, which maybe of any desirable form.

The operation of my invention is as follows The link E being in place inthe draw-head of a car, the same is then brought in contact with anothercar, when the link enters the draw-head, presses back the toggle untilthe link passes the same, when the spring returns the toggle inposition, as shown in Fig. l.

'Io uncouple the cars, a person has only to turn back the wheel or leverc', which throws back the toggle, and the link is released.

I am aware that toggles hinged at the top, and held in position byvarious devices have been used; and I do not, therefore, broadly claimsuch devices, my improvements consisting in using the spring to returnthe toggle, and having' the lower end of the toggle held rmly by thedraw-head itself, and in extending the pivot of the toggle to uncouplethe cars.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The toggle B, fixed upon the bar C, which is provided with wheels orlevers c', extending to the side of the car, in combination with thespring D, having head d', and the drawhead A, with slot af, and slottedlower portion, having shoulder a, all constructed as and for the purposeset forth.

FRANKLIN J. B. BOWMAN.

Witnesses:

C. H. RIDewAr, JAMEs M ILLI-IAM.

